Why do we need RESTful Web Services?

Question

I\'m going to learn RESTful web services (it\'s better to say that I\'ll have to do this because it\'s a part of CS master degree program).

I\'ve read some info in

Answer 1

Most of the "pro" answers about REST seem to come from people who have never developed a SOAP web service or client using an environment which supplies appropriate tools for the task. They complain about issues that I've simply never encountered, using Visual Studio .NET and IBM's Rational Web Developer. I suppose that if you have to develop web services or clients in a scripting language, or some other language with little or no tool support, that these are valid complaints.

I also have to admit that several of the "pro" points sound like things that might actually be true - but that I've never seen an example that illustrates their value. In particular, I'd greatly appreciate it if someone would post a comment containing a link to a good example of a REST web service. This should be one that uses multiple levels of resource, possibly in a hierarchy, and which uses media types properly. Maybe if I look at a good example, I'll understand, in which case, I'll come back here and admit it.